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- Israel-Hamas war
- Egyptian official: We reject sending Arab or joint forces to Gaza
Egyptian official: We reject sending Arab or joint forces to Gaza
"Egypt sees the Palestinian Authority as the ideal entity to govern the Gaza Strip the day after the war, adding that Cairo will provide support to the Authority to enable it to perform its tasks"
A high-ranking Egyptian official revealed to Sky News on Saturday that Cairo rejects the idea of sending Arab or even joint forces to the Gaza Strip.
The official said, "Egypt insists on the principle that the Palestinians are the ones who determine the future of the Gaza Strip", and indicated that Egypt sees the Palestinian Authority as the address for ruling the Gaza Strip the day after the war.
He added that Cairo will provide support for the Authority to be able to perform its duties.
On its part, the "Palestinian Resistance Alliance Factions" announced on Saturday their refusal to send Arab troops to administer the Gaza Strip, warning of the "danger of lining up with such proposals, because they constitute a new Zionist trap and deception, to drag some Arab countries into serving their schemes and projects after their great failure on the ground. They are seeking, along with the United States, to circumvent the crushing defeat they have suffered by relying on some Arab countries and some of their tools in the region to rescue the occupation army from the huge quagmire it has fallen into in the Gaza Strip."
The statement confirmed that "the Palestinian people are capable of choosing their leaders and institutions to manage the sector."
According to American media, Israeli Security Minister Yoav Galant proposed deploying an Arab force in Gaza for a transitional period to secure the ongoing construction of a seaport under the supervision of the United States.
According to Gallant, the same force will secure the humanitarian aid convoys and the port within the framework of a multinational force.
It was revealed on Friday, through a senior U.S. official, that Secretary of State Antony Blinken held discussions on this matter with foreign ministers of several Arab countries in Cairo last week.
It was reported that "Arab countries will not take such a decision unless it is in the context of enhancing the two-state solution".
A senior Arab official stated, "Gallant did not understand the position of the Arab countries. We are not prepared to send troops to secure convoys. We would consider sending troops to a peacekeeping force following a war if that force is under American leadership and if this step is associated with enhancing the two-state solution".